Holder for eraser rubber, pencil, or the like



M. VOGEL Nov. 4, 1941.

HOLDER FOR ERASER RUBBER,` PENCIL, OR THE LIKE Filed March Al2, 1940 4 i @la INVENTOR X Vm E14- 1..

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 4?, 1941 HOLDER FOR ERASER RBER,

. THELIKE oFFicE PENCIL, R

Max vogel, Bridgeport, conn.v

,Application March 12, 1940,` Serial No. 323,537

a claims. :,(cii- 12m-3er The present invention relates to improvement in holder for eraser rubber, pencil, or the like, and has for an object to provide a device of this character in which a length of gradually usable material, such as eraser rubber, and pencil material, such as graphite, crayon, or the like may be carried, so as to support and protect it and at the same time provide a convenient manipulating handle. Another objectk of the invention is to provide a strip of eraser rubber, pencil material, or other substantially equivalent gradually usable substance, to be cooperatively supported in the holder, and which is of special form to cooperate with the holding means of the holder, to the end that such material will be reliably held in place without the necessity forsubjecting it to excessive distortion or squeezing, which in the case of the eraser rubber is apt to cause quick deterioration, and in the case of pencil material is apt to cause breakage.

Another object of the invention is toprovide a holder in which the holding means is so designed that the length of the material held thereby may be `unlimited as to length, and to this end it is particularly proposed to provide' a longitudinally split retaining clip' member open at both ends so that the material being held will not be limited in length by the length of the clip member. Another object is to provide a holder which will adapt itself in principle to various shapes, depending upon the particular design desired, or the material being held, the invention being equally adapted to incorporation in structures of flat cross-section, either rectangular or oval, and square, circular and polygonal crosssection.

With the above and other objects in view, embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawing, and these embodiments will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a holder according to the exemplary illustrated embodiment of the invention, and showing an eraser rubber held therein.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the open ended retaining clip member, shown in detached open relation.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the eraser rubber strip engaged by the retaining clip member, and partially inserted into the outer casing of the holder.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional View.

Fig. 5 is a front end elevation. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified form of the invention. in whichv the holder is of circular cross-section, and showing f a. pencil strip supported in one end, and an eraser strip supportediin the other end.

Fig, 7 is a front endelevation from the pencil opening end. v Fig. 8 .is a transverse sectional View, taken along the line 8 8 ofFig. 6.

. Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 9 3 of Fig. 6. Y

, Fig. 10 isa perspective view of the end portions of the case employed inthemodification shown in Fig. 6. Fig. `11 is a side elevation of the split tube retainer member employed in the modification shown in Fig. 6,. the same being shown in its detached expanded relation. f

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional viewof a modified form of the invention, as shown vin Figs. 1 to 5,. and in which the grooves provided upon the eraser rubberelement are in staggered relation at each side.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts .throughout the several figures of the drawing. Y

Referring to the drawing, particularly to Figs. lto 5 thereof, the invention, accordingto the illustrated embodiment shown therein, comprises an outer .tubular casing I0, of` elongated oval cross-section, but which may if desired be of any other suitable cross-section, and formed of metal, -plastic material, or other suitable substance. A slot Il is provided. in its upper side nearv one end for cooperation with detent retaining means provided in the clip member.

i ',Ihe clip member is in thegeneral form of a split tube open at both ends, and in the illustrated embodiment consists of upper and lower clamping.,jaws l2 and I3 integrally connected bya longitudinal bend, there being a longitudinal Vsplit opposite the bend. The material from .which the clip member is formed is resilient so that in the open position, as shown in Fig. 2, the jaws will spring open to a limited extent. The cross-section of the clip member is such that when engaged in the tube it will fit the inner surface thereof, and clampingly engage about the eraser rubber element, las will presently more fully appear. The ljaws. l2 and I3 are respectively provided with transversely.' disposed projecting ribs I4 and 15,. shown opposite each other, for. cooperative engagement in, the opposedgrooves,` IB and I1 providedin spaced rela tion along the upper and lower surfaces of the eraser rubber element I8, the cross-sectional shape of which is such as to t snugly within the clip member when the latter is in its contracted inserted relation in the tubular casing IIJ. Upon the forward ends of the jaws I2 and I3 there are provided anges I9 and 20 respectively for abutment with the forward edge of the tubular casing I0, to limit the insertion of the clip member, and to support the clip member and the eraser rubber element held thereby against inward pressure as the eraser rubber is being used, and upon the jaw I2 at a point between the abutment flange I9 and the inwardly projecting rib I4 there is provided an outwardly projected detent boss 2|, adapted to snap into engagement with the slot II of the tubular casing I to yieldably retain the clip member against outward removal. This detenting action of the boss 2| is made possible through the yieldability of the eraser rubber I8, and which also permits the clip member to be readily removed by pressing together the lip flanges I9 and 2U to allow the boss 2| to disengage from the slot II. The rearward edge of the jaw I2 is inclined forwardly from the rearward edge of the jaw I3, as at 22, so as to facilitate the insertion of the clip member in the tubular casing I0, it being only necessary to nt the rearward edge of the lower jaw I3 into the tubular casing I0, and thereupon the upper jaw is automatically closed as the clip member is pressed into the tubular casing, as indicated in Fig. 3, the edge 22 acting as a cam to close the jaw I2 and gradually press it into vtight clinching engagement with the eraser rubber. In the, operative relation as shown in Fig. 4 the ribs I4 and I5 engage opposed grooves I and I'I in the eraser rubber and thereby effectually retain the position of the eraser rubber. When it is desired to renew the point of the eraser rubber, the clip member is disengaged and the eraser rubber is extended the distance of the spacing between the grooves so as to engage the ribs I4 and I5 in the next pair of grooves I6 and II.

In Figs. 6 to 11 I have illustrated a modied form of the invention, which is of circular crosssection, and in which the circular cross-section tubular casing IIJa has a pencil or crayon element 23 provided in one end and an eraser rubber element I8a provided in the other end. In this case the tubular casing III'it is provided adjacent each end with a pair of diametrically opposed slots 24-24, and split tubular clip members of identical form are inserted in each end, these each comprising an upper jaw I2a, a lower jaw |321, and opposed inwardly projected ribs llla and Ia respectively provided upon the jaws. Outwardly pressed diametrically opposed bosses 25-25 are provided adjacent the forward edges of the jaws I2a and |39-, which engage the slots 24-24 of the casing to limit the insertion of the clip member and to act as finger grips to permit of convenient removal. It will be noted that the arrangement of the bosses 25- 25 in the slots 24-24 eliminates any forward projecting means at the end of the casing. The rearward edge 22a of the upper jaw I2a is inclined forwardly, and which edge in this cylindrical form of clip member is substantially spirally shaped and blends into the rearward edge of the lower jaw, the function of this edge being the same as the function of the edge 22 of the rst embodiment to automatically close the jaws as the retaining member is inserted in the tube.

For the purpose of securing the pencil or crayon element 23 there is provided upon the inner surface of the clip member a rubber lining member 26 which protects the surface of the pencil or crayon element 23 against abrasion and breakage. This element 23 is provided with a series of circumferential relatively shallow grooves 21, corresponding in function to the grooves I6 and I'I of the eraser rubber element I8 in the first embodiment, but which in the case of the circular cross-section preferably extend entirely around the element. As shown clearly in Fig. 6, the rubber lining member 2E directly engages the surface of the pencil or crayon ele ment under pressure created by the squeezing together of the clip member when it is inserted in the tubular casing Illa, the rubber in relation to the ribs IIIa and I5EL being pressed into the groove 2'I in register therewith to thereby effectually retain the pencil or crayon element against movement. The eraser rubber element Il!a retained in the other end of the tubular casing I0a is also provided with circumferential spaced grooves 28, so that such grooves will be engaged by the ribs Illa and I5a in any position of rotation of the eraser element.

In Fig. 12 I have shown a further modification in which the eraser rubber element I8b is provided with grooves I6b and IIb in its opposed surfaces, which are in staggered relation to each other, so that thickness of the rubber is only decreased in the region of the grooves by the depth of one groove. The retaining projection rib I5 of the jaw I3 is rearwardly offset with respect to the rib I4 of the upper jaw I2, so as to register with the staggered grooves in the eraser rubber element.

The spaced grooves in the rubber eraser element in addition to their retaining function also provide afmore effective erasing surface due to the presence of the transverse edges of the grooves upon the projected erasing end.

I have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory embodiments of my invention, but it will be understood that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a holder for a strip of gradually usable material such as eraser rubber, pencil, or the like, a tubular casing member having an open end, a clip member for clampingly engaging said strip insertable in said open end of said casing member, said clip member being longitudinally split and open at both ends whereby the material may extend in unlimited length longitudinally beyond said open ends and having a diagonal rear edge extending forwardly to one edge of said split, said clip member adapted upon insertion in said casing member to cooperatively engage said strip to retain it against longitudinal movement.

2. In a holder for a strip of gradually usable material such as eraser rubber, pencil, or the like, a tubular casing member having an'open end, a clip member for clampingly engaging said strip insertable in said open end of 'said casing member, said clip member being open at both'ends whereby the material may extend in unlimited length longitudinally beyond said open ends, a rubber lining member disposed between said clip member and said strip, said clip member adapted upon insertion in said casing member to compress said lining member to retain said strip against longitudinal movement.

3. In combination, a holder and a strip of gradually usable material such as eraser rubber, pencil, or the like, having spaced groove means, said holder comprising a tubular casing member having an open end, a clip member for clampingly engaging said strip insertable in said open end of said casing member, said clip member 10 ment.

MAX VOGEL. 

